ChineseClass101.com. (2009). Learn Chinese Vocabulary – Vehicles. Retrieved on November 20, 2009 from YouTube.com:**http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1t-3_9TaAMw**Originally created by ChineseClass101.com, this flashcard video presentation includes basic vocabulary of vehicles as its title indicates. It is a good resource for both in class and after class. It is featured with a three-step self-test section: 1. See the picture; 2. Guess the answer; 3. Get the answer. Students can get a quick review within three minutes. However, some commonly used vehicle words are not included. Teacher should provide supplementary vocabulary if necessary.
ChineseClass101.com. (2009). Learn Chinese - How to get around Beijing #4, the Bus.Retrieved on November 20, 2009 from YouTube.com:**http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_yTU6Nvp-s**This four-episode series center around one topic: how to get around Beijing? Each episode focuses on one vehicle. Although they may not be appropriate for classroom instruction, these podcast-format video clips are very interesting materials for students to use as learning entertainment beyond classroom. By watching and listening to these videos students not only review basic vocabulary of transportation but also learn some local culture in Beijing. This valuable resource can also be adapted to after class assignment/project either as an individual task or as a group work.
Chinese iLAB.com. Video Slide: Asking for Directions in Chinese. Retrieved on November 30, 2009 from **http://www.chinese-ilab.com/videos/beginner/directions/index.html**
This website provides Videos Lessons, Audio Lessons, Games/Quizzes, Pinyin & Tones and Vocabulary for beginner and intermediates. The video slide provides a simple presentation of asking for directions in Chinese which accommodates a lot of visual and audio learners among the students. The slides include a dialogue, key phrases and key words that are used in the conversation. The slides can also be conveniently downloaded to iPod and MP4 players.
Clavis Sinica (2008). Clavis Sinica program [computer softerware].
Clavis Sinica means "Key to the Chinese Language." The easy-to-use software helps you learn Chinese by unlocking the meaning and structure of the Chinese characters in the texts you want to read. The Clavis Sinica software was developed by a faculty member at the University of Michigan as a supplementary learning tool for English-speaking students of the Chinese language. It is currently being used by thousands of individual customers in 48 US states and more than 30 other countries. Users include high school and college students, language teachers, diplomats, translators, interpreters, journalists, immigration counselors, missionaries, doctors, business people, tourists, heritage speakers, and parents of adopted Chinese children. The software was first used at the University of Michigan in the spring of 2001, and since then has been widely adopted for use on other school, college, and university campuses to support existing Chinese language courses. So I consider it a quite helpful resource in teaching Chinese reading in high school.
GuavaTalk. (2008). Get Directions in Chinese. Retrieved on November 10, 2009 from GuavaTalk.com:**http://www.guavatalk.com/video/how-to-ask-for-directions-in-chinese**This YouTube video is originally from GuavaTalk.com, a Chinese language online course provider. Although learners need to pay for most of its online lessons, this website offers some free sample lessons including this Ask for Directions lesson. This five-minute video presentation simply introduces a question—how to get to some place (去…怎么走？)—usually used to ask for directions. It also includes several possible answers to the question. This is a good supplementary material for after class revision purpose.
Immediatechinese. (2009). Immediate Chinese Lesson - Getting around China...where is...? Retrieved on November 19, 2009 from YouTube.com:**http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lqdHdgSqSY**This video clip is very age appropriated because it is just created by a high school aged student. In the one-minute video he demonstrates how he asks for directions to get access to different transportations and ends up taking a taxi in order to go home. It is fun and very close to authentic scenario. It is highly recommended to be used in classroom so as to raise students’ interests of learning.
Livetutoring06. (2007). Learn Chinese Mandarin Lesson 6 – Directions. Retrieved on November 10, 2009 from YouTube.com:**http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHJ54P2dccU**This four-minute video is featured with 11 direction words and a verbal phrase which are the major focus of the direction lesson. It includes all the vocabulary that students need to know about directions. However, the video is not suitable for classroom learning but for review purpose only. The video has only one scene with a vocabulary list and audio guidance and explanation which would not promote learning in classroom activities. Yet it is really a good resource for after class revision since it covers all the required direction words and will not take too much time.
Ma, J. & Mao, Y. (2007). A Complete handbook of Spoken Chinese [CD]. Beijing: Beijing Language and Culture University Press.
There is a CD coming with this book and it can be used to reinforce students’ spoken Chinese and their tones.
PeggyTeachesChinese. (2009). Mandarin Lesson: How to ask for directions in Chinese. Retrieved on November 13, 2009 from YouTube.com:**http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnkeJiC6f3k**Peggy Lee created this seven-minute video lesson to teach how to ask for directions in Chinese which was originally published on PeggyTeachesChinese.com. At present, it is only retrievable on YouTube.com. The video clip is good for both classroom instruction and after class revision. It is featured with a short role play as a simulation of asking for directions in several ways which could be used as scenarios to introduce the lesson. In the video Peggy Lee also explains sentence patterns in detail. Her energetic presentation is very attractive to the audience.
Rosetta Stone Ltd. (1999-2009). Rosetta Stone [Computer software].**http://www.rosettastone.com**It is a great software to learn language not limited to Chinese. For example, in transportation and directions lessons, learners read texts after a Chinese speaker, make choices or match phrases after listening, and fill in blanks before reading the sentence. Thus, all the vocabulary and sentence structures are integrated into context, and various pictures are coming with the sentences. The amazing part is that every session (grammar, speaking, listening, and reading) includes so many practices that it reinforces the language learning through repeating in different ways. With these pictures, students can visualize what the picture says and explicit the concepts of how to use words and sentence structures. This will be a great helper if some advanced students want to extend their Chinese after class, and it will also be helpful for those who want to consolidate what they have learned in class. However, it is not free.
Seton Hall University. (2008). Learning Chinese: Transportation. Retrieved on November 15, 2009 from YouTube.com:**http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpw9Fi36G94**Professor Dongdong Chen from Seton Hall University uses DVD clips to assist instruction in Chinese classes. This clip is actually the Chapter 11 of the learning Chinese DVD. The three-minute concise video consists of two dialogues performed by two characters. Two friends discuss about possible ways to get to the airport in the first dialogue; in the second dialogue the character talks about how she travels around her hometown and visits friends in narratives. Although it is used for college-level instruction, it is also usable for some high school students at Chinese level II such as heritage learners with appropriate scaffolding. This video clip could be used as a tool for differentiated instruction in classroom.
Transparent Language. (2009). Before You Know It [Computer software].**http://www.byki.com**Before You Know It (Byki) is a free downloadable computer software designed by Transparent Langauge. This software aims at helping language learners to build up vocabulary which is available in over 70 languages including traditionally taught languages such as Spanish, French and German, and less commonly taught languages such as Hindi, Farsi and Vietnamese. Chinese is also available in this software. Users can download study lists of various topics including directions and transportation from the website. The software is compatible with Windows and Macintosh operation systems, literally a PC or a Mac. Byki can also be downloaded to an iPhone or an iPod Touch as an App so that a Chinese vocabulary database is just at hand.
Wu, Z. (2005). Contemporary Chinese 1 [CD]. Beijing: Sinolangua Press
This book also comes with a CD which helps students to complete their homework and reinforce their pronunciation when they are out of the Chinese class.
ChineseClass101.com. (2009). Learn Chinese Vocabulary – Vehicles. Retrieved on November 20, 2009 from YouTube.com: **http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1t-3_9TaAMw** Originally created by ChineseClass101.com, this flashcard video presentation includes basic vocabulary of vehicles as its title indicates. It is a good resource for both in class and after class. It is featured with a three-step self-test section: 1. See the picture; 2. Guess the answer; 3. Get the answer. Students can get a quick review within three minutes. However, some commonly used vehicle words are not included. Teacher should provide supplementary vocabulary if necessary.
ChineseClass101.com. (2009). Learn Chinese - How to get around Beijing #1, Bicycles. Retrieved on November 20, 2009 from YouTube.com: **http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyxv2CqXpl8**
ChineseClass101.com. (2009). Learn Chinese - How to get around Beijing #2, Taxi. Retrieved on November 20, 2009 from YouTube.com: **http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZaUZt95L7M**
ChineseClass101.com. (2009). Learn Chinese - How to get around Beijing #3, the Subway. Retrieved on November 20, 2009 from YouTube.com: **http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVFvllxH32s**
ChineseClass101.com. (2009). Learn Chinese - How to get around Beijing #4, the Bus. Retrieved on November 20, 2009 from YouTube.com: **http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_yTU6Nvp-s** This four-episode series center around one topic: how to get around Beijing? Each episode focuses on one vehicle. Although they may not be appropriate for classroom instruction, these podcast-format video clips are very interesting materials for students to use as learning entertainment beyond classroom. By watching and listening to these videos students not only review basic vocabulary of transportation but also learn some local culture in Beijing. This valuable resource can also be adapted to after class assignment/project either as an individual task or as a group work.
Chinese iLAB.com. Video Slide: Asking for Directions in Chinese. Retrieved on November 30, 2009 from
**http://www.chinese-ilab.com/videos/beginner/directions/index.html**
This website provides Videos Lessons, Audio Lessons, Games/Quizzes, Pinyin & Tones and Vocabulary for beginner and intermediates. The video slide provides a simple presentation of asking for directions in Chinese which accommodates a lot of visual and audio learners among the students. The slides include a dialogue, key phrases and key words that are used in the conversation. The slides can also be conveniently downloaded to iPod and MP4 players.
Clavis Sinica (2008). Clavis Sinica program [computer softerware].
Clavis Sinica means "Key to the Chinese Language." The easy-to-use software helps you learn Chinese by unlocking the meaning and structure of the Chinese characters in the texts you want to read. The Clavis Sinica software was developed by a faculty member at the University of Michigan as a supplementary learning tool for English-speaking students of the Chinese language. It is currently being used by thousands of individual customers in 48 US states and more than 30 other countries. Users include high school and college students, language teachers, diplomats, translators, interpreters, journalists, immigration counselors, missionaries, doctors, business people, tourists, heritage speakers, and parents of adopted Chinese children. The software was first used at the University of Michigan in the spring of 2001, and since then has been widely adopted for use on other school, college, and university campuses to support existing Chinese language courses. So I consider it a quite helpful resource in teaching Chinese reading in high school.
GuavaTalk. (2008). Get Directions in Chinese. Retrieved on November 10, 2009 from GuavaTalk.com: **http://www.guavatalk.com/video/how-to-ask-for-directions-in-chinese** This YouTube video is originally from GuavaTalk.com, a Chinese language online course provider. Although learners need to pay for most of its online lessons, this website offers some free sample lessons including this Ask for Directions lesson. This five-minute video presentation simply introduces a question—how to get to some place (去…怎么走？)—usually used to ask for directions. It also includes several possible answers to the question. This is a good supplementary material for after class revision purpose.
Immediatechinese. (2009). Immediate Chinese Lesson - Getting around China...where is...? Retrieved on November 19, 2009 from YouTube.com: **http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lqdHdgSqSY** This video clip is very age appropriated because it is just created by a high school aged student. In the one-minute video he demonstrates how he asks for directions to get access to different transportations and ends up taking a taxi in order to go home. It is fun and very close to authentic scenario. It is highly recommended to be used in classroom so as to raise students’ interests of learning.
Livetutoring06. (2007). Learn Chinese Mandarin Lesson 6 – Directions. Retrieved on November 10, 2009 from YouTube.com: **http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHJ54P2dccU** This four-minute video is featured with 11 direction words and a verbal phrase which are the major focus of the direction lesson. It includes all the vocabulary that students need to know about directions. However, the video is not suitable for classroom learning but for review purpose only. The video has only one scene with a vocabulary list and audio guidance and explanation which would not promote learning in classroom activities. Yet it is really a good resource for after class revision since it covers all the required direction words and will not take too much time.
Ma, J. & Mao, Y. (2007). A Complete handbook of Spoken Chinese [CD]. Beijing: Beijing Language and Culture University Press.
There is a CD coming with this book and it can be used to reinforce students’ spoken Chinese and their tones.
PeggyTeachesChinese. (2009). Mandarin Lesson: How to ask for directions in Chinese. Retrieved on November 13, 2009 from YouTube.com: **http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnkeJiC6f3k** Peggy Lee created this seven-minute video lesson to teach how to ask for directions in Chinese which was originally published on PeggyTeachesChinese.com. At present, it is only retrievable on YouTube.com. The video clip is good for both classroom instruction and after class revision. It is featured with a short role play as a simulation of asking for directions in several ways which could be used as scenarios to introduce the lesson. In the video Peggy Lee also explains sentence patterns in detail. Her energetic presentation is very attractive to the audience.
Rosetta Stone Ltd. (1999-2009). Rosetta Stone [Computer software]. **http://www.rosettastone.com** It is a great software to learn language not limited to Chinese. For example, in transportation and directions lessons, learners read texts after a Chinese speaker, make choices or match phrases after listening, and fill in blanks before reading the sentence. Thus, all the vocabulary and sentence structures are integrated into context, and various pictures are coming with the sentences. The amazing part is that every session (grammar, speaking, listening, and reading) includes so many practices that it reinforces the language learning through repeating in different ways. With these pictures, students can visualize what the picture says and explicit the concepts of how to use words and sentence structures. This will be a great helper if some advanced students want to extend their Chinese after class, and it will also be helpful for those who want to consolidate what they have learned in class. However, it is not free.
Seton Hall University. (2008). Learning Chinese: Transportation. Retrieved on November 15, 2009 from YouTube.com: **http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpw9Fi36G94** Professor Dongdong Chen from Seton Hall University uses DVD clips to assist instruction in Chinese classes. This clip is actually the Chapter 11 of the learning Chinese DVD. The three-minute concise video consists of two dialogues performed by two characters. Two friends discuss about possible ways to get to the airport in the first dialogue; in the second dialogue the character talks about how she travels around her hometown and visits friends in narratives. Although it is used for college-level instruction, it is also usable for some high school students at Chinese level II such as heritage learners with appropriate scaffolding. This video clip could be used as a tool for differentiated instruction in classroom.
Transparent Language. (2009). Before You Know It [Computer software]. **http://www.byki.com** Before You Know It (Byki) is a free downloadable computer software designed by Transparent Langauge. This software aims at helping language learners to build up vocabulary which is available in over 70 languages including traditionally taught languages such as Spanish, French and German, and less commonly taught languages such as Hindi, Farsi and Vietnamese. Chinese is also available in this software. Users can download study lists of various topics including directions and transportation from the website. The software is compatible with Windows and Macintosh operation systems, literally a PC or a Mac. Byki can also be downloaded to an iPhone or an iPod Touch as an App so that a Chinese vocabulary database is just at hand.
Wu, Z. (2005). Contemporary Chinese 1 [CD]. Beijing: Sinolangua Press
This book also comes with a CD which helps students to complete their homework and reinforce their pronunciation when they are out of the Chinese class.